


Heaven Can Wait...so must Bucky Barnes

by cindyls1969



Category: Captain America (Movies), Marvel Cinematic Universe
Genre: Character Death, Happy Ending, M/M, One-Shot, The End of the Line, infinity wars is gonna kill me
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-04-28
Updated: 2018-04-28
Packaged: 2019-04-28 21:52:17
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,896
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14458524
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/cindyls1969/pseuds/cindyls1969
Summary: It's finally the end of the line.





	Heaven Can Wait...so must Bucky Barnes

**Author's Note:**

> Just a little nonsense based on the swirling rumors about Captain America's death and I'm going to see Infinity Wars tomorrow night and because I know that they won't do Steve and Bucky justice and I'm gonna need a case of tissues and I wish I know how to add a pic to this stupid story and I'm not ready to let Steve and Bucky go yet.

“James Buchanan Barnes! Mama says you best get your sorry ass up outta this bed right now!”

Bucky woke with a start, the voice that was both familiar and out of place at the same time pushing away the darkness. He finds himself responding with words he didn’t know he remembered. “Mama did not say ass.”

“Course she didn’t Buck. That was all me.” He could hear the smile in her voice and his eyes had to open to see if it was still the same. 

“Becca?” He sat up so fast it made his head spin and Becca jumped forward to steady him. 

“Yeah, it’s me. How you doing big brother?” Becca’s smile had always been so bright and sassy. She was the second biggest smartass he ever knew and he loved her for it. 

“I’m not sure?” He looked around the room he’d woken in. It looked like the apartment he’d grown up in, except it was less…gray than he remembered. 

Becca sat down beside him on the edge of the bed and put her hand on his left arm. 

His flesh and blood left arm.

“It’s okay Buck. I know you’re a little confused. What do you remember?”

“I don’t know. I just know this is all not quite right. This room, my arm and you.” He looked at her. “I’m so glad to see you Bec’s but I just know that somethings out of place. Maybe it’s me?”

Moving her hand up to his shoulder, she pulled him close and hugged him tightly. He hugged her back because he never could resist her. 

“I know you’re confused, but I need you to stop and think. Where were you when you fell asleep?”

He pulled back, a little scared. He wasn’t sure he wanted to remember but something told him it was inevitable. Closing his eyes, he tried to think. It felt like the memories were right there, just out of his reach. 

“Just let it happen Buck. Then everything will make sense, I promise. I know it’s scary, but it’s going to be fine.” She rubbed her small hand up and down his back and it helped him release some of the tension.

“I think I was in bed. In a hospital maybe? There was someone with me, a friend.” Bucky concentrated as little bits started breaking through. “His name was…it was Thor.” Pictures started flashing through his head a little fast. “Oh my god. He still looks so young. Not fair really, him keeping those good looks while the rest of us got old.” 

His eyes popped open and he looked at Becca incredulously. “I was old. Way older than I ever thought I would get.” He stood up and walked over to the dresser against the wall. Looking in the mirror he was shocked to see that his face was that of a young man, like he’d looked in the 40’s before he’d gone off to war. 

“Oh Becca. I went to war.” He looked at her, taking in the sadness in her eyes. “I went to war and never came home. I’m so sorry Becca. I broke my promise to you.”

Standing up, Becca rushed to him and pulled him into another hug. “It’s alright Buck. I know you would have if it would have been possible.” She rested her head on his shoulder for a moment before pulling back and speaking again. “What else?” 

“She was there too. Natasha. Her hair was grey and she looked so small, but she held my hand and never let go. She talked to me, told me I wasn’t alone and that she loved me…they all loved me and that they understood that it was time for me to go.” He looked down at her. I died, didn’t I?” He looked around the room. “That’s why I’m here, isn’t it?”

She smiled and nodded. “Yeah, you died. You lived a good life after Thanos was defeated. It was hard at first, but you did it.”

“Where am I? I shouldn’t be where you are Becca. You were a good person. I don’t deserve to be where you are.”

Becca scowled at him and punched him in the arm. “That’s just nonsense. You’re a good man and anyone who thinks different can take it up with me, even you!” 

“I did thing Bec. Horrible things. So many people died because of me.”

“No Buck. You had no choice in what you did and if you could have chosen, you never would have done any of them. And you saved so many more lives than you took. You saved the world and those are the things that count.”

Bucky looked down at his hands. “I just did the best I could do. And besides, I didn’t do it alone. Steve…” His breath left him in a moment, leaving him gasping. “Oh my god Steve!”

The memories flooded in now. Steve fighting Thanos, standing up to him defiantly even though there was no chance of him defeating him alone. Steve flying through the air into the side of a building, hitting so hard that it collapsed on top of him. Thanos had turned and walked away, telling them to mourn their dead and he would be back. 

Bucky collapsed to his knees as the feelings rushed over him. “He was so broken Becca, when we dug him out. Too broken to heal but he was still breathing. Stubborn bastard was too ornery to die easy.” Tears ran down Bucky’s face as he remembered Steve’s final moment. “He told me to live. He told me that it wasn’t the end of the line, and that he would be there when it was. But I had things to do he said and that I would have to wait to catch up with him.” 

She took his face in her hands and made him look at her. “He was right. You did so many amazing things in the last 40 years. You helped so many people and the world’s a much better place because of you. We are all so proud of you.” She took his hand and helped him to his feet.

“We? Who’s we?” Bucky’s voice was raw from crying but his curiosity got the best of him. “Who else is here?”

Becca laughed. “Everyone’s here. Mama and daddy. The other girls. Gran and gramps. Everyone.”

“I can’t wait to see them all.”

She smirked at him. “But I know who you wanna see first. It’s okay Buck. He’s waiting for you.”

Bucky climbed to his feet. “He’s here? Where?” He knew he sounded like an over-excited little kid, but he didn’t care. 

Becca tilted her head and looked at the window. “You know where he’s waiting. Now go find him.”

Leaning down, he kissed her on the cheek. “I’m so happy to see you little sister, but how come you’re the one who’s here? I’m not upset about it, just curious?”

Chuckling, Becca led him to the window. “I beat him at rock, paper, scissors. You know I’m the champ.” Sliding the window up, she gave him a little shove. “I love you Buck. Now go get your best guy.”

Giving her one last grin, he climbed out the window and started up toward the roof. His heart was pounding with excitement and it didn’t take him long to reach the top. Levering himself up over the edge, he took a look around and finally spotted Steve sitting on a blanket, sketchbook in hand, looking exactly like he did at 19. Except at 19 Steve had always had a shadow that seemed to follow him around, like death was just waiting to take him away. 

But now? He was beautiful, he always had been but now his cheeks were pink. When he lifted his head to look at Bucky, his eyes sparkled brightly and the ever-present wheeze didn’t rattle in his chest. It was a breath-taking thing to see and Bucky could hardly breath past the lump in his throat. 

Steve smiled at him. “Took you long enough to get here Barnes.” 

Shaking his head, Bucky grinned back. “Yeah, sorry, you know I’m always late for everything.” He walked over to where Steve was sitting, looking down at him and taking in every detail. 

“Nah Buck. For once you’re right on time.” Steve put down the sketch pad and climbed to his feet. “But I’m sure glad you’re here. I missed you.”

Surging forward, Bucky wrapped his arms around Steve, lifting him up and hugging him tightly. “I missed you too punk. You don’t even know.”

Chuckling, Steve grabbed on to Bucky, clinging to him and burying his face in Buck’s neck. “I might have some idea.”

They stood and swayed, beyond words for a few minutes before Steve pulled back. He reached up and tucked Bucky’s hair behind his ear. “I’m sorry Buck. I know it was hard for you.”

“Watching you die? Being left behind? Yeah, it was.” Bucky took a deep breath, not wanting the old anger to get control of him again. “It was bad for a while. I–I was bad. Angry. I didn’t know what to do without you. I’d lost my anchor. My reason to keep going.” He clutched Steve to him. “They…they thought I was going to try and join you. Natasha, Sam, Tony. Especially Tony. He didn’t leave me alone for  
weeks.” 

Steve stroked his fingers down Bucky’s face. “I know babe. I was watching. It was killing me to see you go through it but I knew you had good people with you. I’m glad you had Tony.”

“When you…” Bucky swallowed, shaking so hard he thought he might break apart. “When you died, when he saw how much it was killing me, he said he decided that it wasn’t worth it to keep hating me for something I didn’t have a choice in. He said that he knew that you wouldn’t want me to be left on my own and that if he couldn’t make it up to you, then he would make it up to me.”

Steve sighed. “I always knew he had a heart.” He’d hitched his legs up around Bucky’s hips at some point but he let them fall back down slowly. Bucky lowered him to the ground reluctantly. “Come sit beside me Buck. I wanna draw you.”

Bucky laughed and let himself be pulled down when Steve sat. “Aren’t you tired of drawing me yet?”

Steve turned and put his hand on Bucky’s jaw, reeling him in for a gentle kiss. “Nope. Never gonna be. I want to draw you forever.”

Bucky leaned into the kissed for a moment before pulling back. “Well, I think you finally got your wish.” He looked around and then laid back on the blanket and closing his eyes. “Guess this is the end of the line huh?”

He felt Steve squeeze his arm. “It might be. But I think it’s the beginning of a new one.”

Taking Steve’s hand, he tangled their fingers together. “I think I’m okay with that.” He kissed Steve’s knuckles before letting go and opening his eyes. Turning onto his side, he grinned as Steve grabbed his pencil and started sketching, lost in what he was doing almost immediately. Yeah, he was definitely okay with that.


End file.
